Keeping a Holy Lent
Lent begins in a little under two weeks with Ash Wednesday on February 14th. The Season of Lent is a time of fasting, penance, prayer, and worship. Lent is all about disruptions. These disruptions, however, have a holy purpose. They are aids to help us prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Lent is not about earning our salvation or proving something to God or others. Instead, Lent is a season of heart renovation. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Saturday. By the time we get to Easter, we are often drawn closer in our relationship with God, our faith encouraged, and the sins we have been wrestling with have been cast off. As this sacred season quickly approaches, I want us to look at three ways to keep a holy Lent.
Add on
When many people think about Lent, they likely think of giving up something they love in their daily life. However, fewer people think about taking on something that will bring them closer to Christ or refine their faith.
As we study the life of Jesus, we find that Jesus had a strict discipline of solitude (Luke 4.42), prayer (Luke 5.15-16), silence (Luke 4.1-2), and unhurriedness (Mark 6.31). The more challenges Jesus faced, the more he leaned into his spiritual disciplines. Lent is a time when we are asked to lean into and take on spiritual disciplines to strengthen our hearts.
We could add more devotional things to our lives, such as prayer and reading the Bible. Perhaps, you could make it a point to pray every day at noon wherever you are, and with and for whomever you are with. Other additions we can consider taking on are acts of charity and kindness. This can be as simple as making sure to share a loving and kind word every day with a stranger or as bold as taking on an elaborate mission project. Additions are like lifting weights. You take them on to make yourself stronger in your faith.
Take off
People often talk about what they give up for Lent. Instead of thinking of it as giving up, I would encourage us to think about what we are subtracting from our lives during Lent. Giving up sounds like we are getting rid of something negative or sinful. If we have something sinful in our life, then we need to give it up whether we’re in the season of Lent or not.
Taking off, however, is about fasting from something we love or enjoy to either grow closer to God, increase our awareness of God’s blessing in our life, or remove distractions from our faith.
Again, before Jesus began his public ministry, He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4.1-2). Jesus went into the wilderness to not rid himself of sin but to take off a part of his life to find His Father’s purpose for His life. When we take off, we are losing a part of our lives to focus on the life God wants for us. We let things go and put ourselves last. We learn to “humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5.6).
The most common subtraction is food. We could fast foods on certain days or fast only particular foods such as chocolate. The genuinely pious take off coffee (no, I’m not that saintly).
Food is not our only option. We might also subtract media or electronics from our lives. One year, I turned my iPhone from color to black-and-white mode. I could still use my phone, but it was far less interesting to look at in black and white. One crazy guy in seminary subtracted hot showers. He quickly realized what a blessing hot water is—a blessing the majority of the world’s population does not enjoy.
Taking off should be challenging, but it does not need to make us miserable. The goal of subtraction is to make us aware of God’s presence in our life or lack thereof.
Look in
I often find introspection to be the most difficult of the three. Introspection forces me to examine the parts of my life and heart I would rather not deal with. Introspection, however, is crucial to this whole process. Our addition and subtraction would quickly become self-improvement tools rather than spiritual aids without introspection.
Introspection involves searching the heart. In the Psalms, David asked God to search him and know him. We need to pray like David during Lent. That is, we need to ask God to reveal to us the wickedness, stubbornness, or selfishness that has been hiding in our hearts and then to give us the grace to cast them off (Ps. 51).
I find that it helps if I get away for a time during Lent to devote myself to self-examination. It does not need to be a lengthy retreat. Something as short as a quiet day or afternoon is a great way to start. Two great places to get away for introspection time are Canaan in the Desert and the Franciscan Renewal Center.
Lent is not so much a season but a journey. Every good journey has some struggles along the way. If you fail at some point and break your fast, do not lose heart and give up. Remember, this is not about proving something. This is about heart renovation and spiritual preparation.
I invite you to spend some time thinking about what you’re going to add on, take off, and how you will look in. Examine your heart and mind, and ask yourself what things distract you from God or hinder your spiritual growth. What disciplines will help your heart hunger for the Father and allow your mind to be fixed on Jesus? Let’s prepare our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to worship the resurrected Lord this Easter.
Additional Facts about Lent:
The word “Lent” or “Lenten” comes from the Old English word “lencten,” meaning “springtime.”
Lent has likely been celebrated since the early church. It was formally made a Christian season on the First Council of Nicaea in 325.
Most people think there are 40 days in Lent. There are actually 46 days in Lent. Sundays aren’t included in the 40-day count since they are “feast days.” Therefore, our Lenten fasting and disciplines are put on hold on Sundays.
Violet is the official color of Lent, as this represents mourning for Jesus dying on the cross while also celebrating his resurrection with the colors of royalty.